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Bills in the Senate Health and Education Committee Thursday 2.19.09
The Senate Health and Education Committee will vote tomorrow morning (Thursday) on three key bills that affect reproductive health and sexuality education in Virginia. Your Senator sits on this committee, and your voice can make the difference in the outcome of this hearing.
HB 1980, Parents Right to Know, is a bill that will make it mandatory for school districts to provide all parents and guardians with an overview of the content of the Family Life Education program implemented in their child's school. This bill recently passed the House will full support from the floor, and now it will need to pass this Senate committee to advance to a floor vote. We SUPPORT this bill.
HB 2579, introduced by Del. Byron (R-22), requires a woman to have an ultrasound performed (and also be offered the opportunity to view the ultrasound) prior to obtaining an abortion. Performing an ultrasound prior to a first-trimester abortion is medically unnecessary, and decisions about healthcare should be made by a medical provider, not by members of the General Assembly. We OPPOSE this bill.
HB 2634, introduced by Del. Cline (R-24) requires that an ultrasound be performed before providing an abortion. It also states that if a pregnancy is past 20 weeks, the doctor must provide medically inaccurate information about fetal anesthesia. Currently, 32 national organizations oppose fetal anesthesia, including the American Medical Association, American Public Health Association, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. In additon to having no known benefits for the fetus, anesthesia puts the woman at risk. We OPPOSE this bill.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Bills affecting women's health in your committee tomorrow
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I am writing to ask that you OPPOSE HB 2579 and HB 2634. These bills would drastically decrease access to reproductive health care by forcing women to face unnecessary and burdensome restrictions.
HB 2579 and HB 2634 both require ultrasounds prior to receiving an abortion. Mandating ultrasounds places an undue burden on the woman that could cause delays and barriers in accessing abortion services. Furthermore, ultrasounds cost several hundred dollars and may not be covered by insurance when they are not medically necessary.
HB 2634 goes even further by requiring a doctor to distribute inaccurate information about fetal anesthesia. Over thirty-two respected medical organizations oppose fetal anesthesia legislation because there is no consensus of medical opinion and because it may put the woman's health at risk.
I am also writing to ask that you support HB 1980, Parents Right to Know. This bill will require that school districts distribute a summary of their Family Life Education programs to parents and guardians. Many parents are unaware of what is being taught in these programs, and parent-child communication can only stregthen Family Life Education.
The best way to ensure women's health is to help women, teens, and families prevent unintended pregnancy. Medically accurate family planning and including parents in Family Life Education programs are proven ways to do so.
It is my hope that you will SUPPORT HB 1980 and OPPOSE HB 2579 and HB 2634 tomorrow in the Senate Health and Education Committee.
Sincerely,
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